A Song Of Painting: To General Cao Ba Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGH IJKLKEI MNOOPKQRNRSTISUV WVXYZRA2B2C2D2VE2F2G 2H2I2J2K2ZL2M2N2O2D P2Q2H2VR2S2T2V DYU2PV2RW2I J2X2Y2Z2PIVF2

You General Cao BaA
descendant of Cao CaoB
now live as a peasantC
a cold door commonerD
Your ancestor's heroic ageE
carved out kingdoms of oldF
and its cultural brilliance its styleG
still survive in your workH
-
To learn calligraphyI
you first studied Lady WeiJ
your only regret was not surpassingK
the great Wang XizhiL
You said 'Caught up in my paintingK
I give no thought to old ageE
riches and rank are to meI
no more than clouds floating by '-
Often summoned to courtM
during the Kaiyuan periodN
frequently you ascended the daisO
to receive the Emperor's praiseO
In the Gallery of Famous MenP
the noble faces were fadingK
going to work with your brushQ
you brought back their freshnessR
On the ministers' heads you repaintedN
their hats of officeR
at the waists of the fierce generalsS
their great feathered arrowsT
The Duke of Bao and Duke of EI
so lifelike their hair bristlesS
stand grim bold and heroicU
as if in the midst of battleV
-
The late Emperor's imperial horseW
Jade Flower DappleV
had been painted by artist after artistX
but none could capture his essenceY
One day he was led into the courtyardZ
below the red steps of the palaceR
standing there by the palace gatesA2
he embodied the wind of the plainsB2
At the Emperor's commandC2
you stretched white silk to paint onD2
calling up all of your skillV
you formed the image in your mindE2
In a flash from the nine fold heavensF2
the true 'dragon' emergedG2
At one stroke the horse paintings of agesH2
were obliteratedI2
When the painting was taken upJ2
and hung above the throneK2
the horse on the wall and that in the yardZ
gazed proudly into each other's faceL2
Smiling the Emperor hastened his aideM2
to bring a handsome rewardN2
stable boys and grooms stood long facedO2
jealous of His Majesty's favorD
-
Your pupil Han Gan was long sinceP2
shown all your techniquesQ2
he too can paint horsesH2
horses in every stance imaginableV
but Gan paints only the outer fleshR2
not the strength that lies beneathS2
his brush would dampen the spiritT2
of legendary HualiuV
-
The General is a superb painterD
because he captures the essenceY
In the past you often renderedU2
likenesses of distinguished menP
in the present troubled timesV2
uprooted and homelessR
you are reduced to painting portraitsW2
of humble passersbyI
-
So desperate are your straits you put upJ2
with the snubs of commonersX2
never in the worldY2
has anyone been as poor as youZ2
But look at the lives of famous menP
throughout historyI
they too were forced to dealV
with endless frustrationsF2

Du Fu



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